Knitting machine cam race



y 5, 1949- w. A. ZIEVE 2,475,170

KNITTING MACHINE CAM RACE Filed Oct. 18, 1946 INVENTOR ATTORNEYSPatented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES ?ATENT KNITTING MACHINE CAM RACEWilliam A. Zieve, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Milton Moskowitz, JamaicaEstates, N. Y.

Application October 18, 1946, Serial No. 704,030

(Cl. Gil-"57) 11 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to knitting machines, and inparticular it relates to the cam race components, their structure andoperation, in knitting machines of the circular, multiple-feed type. I

In conventional circular knitting machines ofthis general type, there isusually provided a cam race of irregular pattern within which race orgroove the butts of the vertically reciprocating knitting needles areconfined. In these ma chines, the needles must be frictioned in order toprevent them from overriding the path defined by the cams. Thisfrictioning is undesirable because it results in increased wear on theneedle butts and on the actuating cams, and also because it increasesthe machine load, and it is highly desirable that it be avoided.

Further, in this same type of knitting machine, the lower or raising camelements usually fixed, and the upper or stitch cams are so disposed asto be vertically adjustable. In these machines, adjustment of the upperor stitch cams usually increases or decreases the width of the race ortrack within which the needle butts travel, permitting a varying amountof undesirable play, which play is reflected in the irregular size andcharacter of the stitch formed thereby.

The main object of my invention, therefore, is the provision, in anapparatus of the character described, of a segmental camrace which willconfine the actuated needle butts within a path of constant size, andcushion same particularly during the downward travel of the needlebutts.

Another object of my invention is the provision, for use in a circularmultiple feed type of knitting machine, of a cam race component havingan upper stitch cam portion and a lower raising cam portion both mountedon the same slide post for simultaneous movement during adjustments.

Still another object of my inventionis the provision of a cam racecomponent having a stitch cam portion and a raising cam portion thereon,both mounted on a member which is inclined laterally of the needle bed,-permitting adjustment of the cam elements alonga helical path.

Still another object of my invention is the provisionof a stitch cam andat raising cam construction, in which the space between is constant, andboth cam elements are adjustably mounted to move duringadjustmentsat aninclination to the vertical.

Still another objectof my inventionis the provision of a stitch cam anda raising cam mounted on a post for simultaneous reciprocatingadjust- 2ment thereon, the post moving along a helical line along the needlecylinder. v

Still another objectof my invention is the provisionof a cam'i'acecomponent for a circular, multiple-feed type of knitting machine, havinga raising cam and a stitching cam, and means to adjust same helicallywith respect to the needle cylinder. o I

Still another object of my invention is the provision of a camracecomponent for a circular, multiple-feed type ofik'nitjting machine,having a base portion, a member thereon inclined therefrom, the cam racecomponent being reciprocably mounted on a post slidablewithin the memberfor helical movement with respect to the needle cylinder. o

Still other objects of the invention will in part be apparent, and.still others will be pointed out specifically in connection with thefollowing description of an; illustrative embodiment thereof.

In the drawings annexed hereto and forming a part hereof, o v

Figure I is a developed diagrammatic view of a series of cam racecomponents disposed with relation to a portion ofthe needle cylinder andshowing the positioning and movement of the knitting needles, the topline of the needle cylinder being indicated by a dotted line Fig. 2 is atop planview of one form of cam race component and mounting thereforconstructed according to and embodying my invention Fig. 3 is a rearelevational view thereof; and

Fig.4 is a section onthe line 44 of Fig. 3, with parts broken away to"show internal details of construction; and

Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are; respectively, front, side and rear elevationalviews of my cam race component.

My device, indicated generally by reference numeral [0, comprises a basel2 of any suitable metallic material; which is disposed atop a cam bedring M. The upper surface of bed ring i4 is radially grooved as at it,each of the grooves It being adoptedto' receive I a rib I'B- extendingvertically and downwardly from the underside of base [2, so as toproperly locate eachcam block I? inplace on the ring and preventside-shifting thereon. A headed bolt 20 may beprovided, extendingthroughan inclined bore; 22 in base I2, and engaging a threaded socket24 in bed I 4, soas to secure the cam block in position atop the cam bedM. A cam post retainer or socket shafted is."provided whichmay beintegral with base or block [2, and as seen best in Figures 2 and 3, thecam post retainer or socket shaft 30 is angled sidewise with respect to,and upwardly from base l2. Retainer or socket shaft 30 is transverselyapertured as at 32. and axially apertured as at 34 down from the topthereof, the apertures communicating with each other (see Fig. 4) forreasons to be developed hereinbelow. The front face or aspect 36 ofretainer or socket shaft 30 is axially and inwardly grooved, as at 38.The facing marginal edges of groove 38 are slightly curved, as will bedeveloped below.

Within groove 38 on retainer 30, I dispose a cam post 4!) on the frontof which is mounted a pair of cam components of the cam race 50, whichrace is formed by a plurality of cam pairs 52, 54, mounted on basemembers l2, l2, which are disposed side by side on the cam bed 14 aboutthe periphery of the circular ring in which the needles 60, 6|] aremounted for vertical reciprocatory movement.

The cam pairs are mounted on the face of each cam post 45, and projectlaterally therefrom, comprising an upper or stitching cam 52, and alower or raising cam 54 spaced therefrom by an angled groove or track66. It is these grooves 66, 65, between each pair of cams which combinewith the spaces 67, 61 between adjacent cam members which define the camrace or the path 50 of the knitting needle 60, 60 butts B, B.

The front faces of each pair of earns 52, 54 are laterally andtransversely curved or arched, as at 62, 64, the degree of curvaturedepending on the radius of curvature of the needle cylinder about whichthe cam race is mounted. The upper or stitch cam 52 is generally ofV-shape in elevation, and the lower or raising cam 54 is generally ofinverted V-shape in elevation, slightly offset with respect to the uppercam. Each upper cam 52 has one long, downwardly angled, straight side68, and a shorter side reversely angled with respect thereto, and afurther side I2 angled rearwardly of side 10 and substantially parallelto long side 68. Each lower cam 54 has a long, upwardly angled straightside 14, and angled shorter side 16, and a further side I8 angledreversely of side 16 and parallel to long side 14. The top line 80 ofthe upper cam '52, and the bottom line 82 of the lower cam 54 are of noparticular importance. As seen in Fig. 7, post 40 is inclined at such anangle as to be parallel to the surfaces l0, 14.

Referring now to Figure 1, when a number of cam base blocks l2, [2 aremounted in side-byside relation, there is left between each pair of cammembers a space 61 defined by side 10 of the upper cam of one member andside 14 of the adjacent cam member defining a groove or track 61. Inpractice, the cylinder in which needles 60, 60 are mounted may berotated with respect to the cams, or the cam ring may be rotated withrespect to the needle cylinder (not shown), but whatever the relativemovement as indicated by the arrows (Fig. 1), the butt portions B, B ofneedles 66, so are trapped within the grooves 66 and spaces 6! whichmake up race 50, and as the cam rin moves to the left, in the directionof the lower arrow, the needle butts B, B will be actuated thereby to beshifted upwardly along raising cam sides i4, 14, and their directionreversed downwardly when they are brought against the long, downwardlyangled side 68 of the associated stitching cam 52, moved upwardly againby the long edge 14 of the adjacent raising cam, etc. The grooves ortracks between the raising and between the stitching cam of each camrace 4 component on the stitching phase remains constant; that is thedown-stroke stitching movement of the needle butts is always within atrack or groove of predetermined, fixed dimension. The space or track61, 61 between the pairs of adjacent cams is determined by the distancebetween two adjacent cam bases, and in my invention, this distance toowill always be constant, so that the danger of difierent stitch sizesand shapes is thereby obviated.

Referring now to Figure 4, it will be seen that each cam post 40 isprovided with a threaded socket 8G in the rear thereof, adapted to beengaeed by the threaded end of a bolt 86 extended through horizontalaperture 32, the head of which bolt is wider than opening 32, so as tosecure loosely the post 40 within groove 38 and permit it to shifttherewithin. The aperture 32 is larger than the width of bolt 86, andthe bolt and the attached slide post 40 may thus be reciprocablyadjusted lengthwise of the inclined portion of the cam retainer 38. Acoil spring 88 may be disposed Within axial bore 34 bearing against theunderside of bolt 86, normally urging same upwardly, and a threaded bolt90 may be screwed down through the opening 92 aligned with bore 34, tobear against the top of bolt 86 and secure same against upward movement.A lock nut 94 may be employed to prevent any movement of bolt 98upwardly after it has been adjusted to any desired position, thisarrangement locking the cam posts to the retainer sockets.

The rear aspect of cams 52, 54 is curved along a single curved line as8|, resting on the surfaces of correspondingly curved edges of legs 83extending forwardly from the sides of the cam post retainer or socket30. The cam post retainer 30 is inclined away from the vertical withrespect to base 12, and with the curved bearing edges 8!, 83, anyadjustment of the cam slide 40 within post retainer 30 will besubstantially along the line of the cam sides 1!], 14, along a pathwhich is slightly curvedto follow the cylindrical surface of the needlecylinder, for cam sides 10, 14 are generally parallel to the line ofinclination of post 38, and the curvature of the opposed surfaces ill,83 follows the cylinder curve. Because of this particular construction,the space of track between side 14 of one raising cam and the side illof the adjacent cam will thus always remain constant during anyadjustment, the only change taking place occurring at the point wherethe needle butt B movement is reversed from the upward to the downwardphase, as the butt contacts long side 68 of the stitching cam 52 and isdirected downwardly.

In conventional machines of the general type described herein, theraising cams are fixed, and only the stitch cams may be adjusted, andthese along a vertical line, the adjustment thereof always resulting inaltering the space, track or groove between the cams within which theneedle butts travel, resulting in binding or in the creation of anundesirable amount of play, reflected in loose, uneven stitching. In mynew and improved cam construction, the adjustment of the stitching camsdoes not alter the proper positionings thereof with respect to theraising cams, the needle butt tracks or grooves, or the operation of themachine as a whole. Further, my cam race component mounting permits easyaccess to the interior of the machine for repair or replacement, andalso permits morecam race component units to be disposed about theperiphery of the needle cylinder.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a horizontallyextended base portion, a cam post receivin member extending upwardlytherefrom and angled away from the normal with respect to the base, anda cam post reciprocable within and lengthwise of the receiving member.

2. In a knitting machine including a needle cylinder, a horizontallyextended base portion, a cam post receiving member extending upwardlyfrom the base and at an inclined angle thereto, a

cam post disposed within the receiver for axial reciprocating movementtherealong, the contacting portions of the receiver and post beingcurved so that the cam post reciprocates along a helical path followingthe curvature of the needle cylinder.

3. A device of the character described comprising a horizontallyextended base member, a cam post receiver extending upwardly therefromand at an inclined angle thereto, a raising cam and a stitching cammounted on said post for simultaneous axial reciprocating movement alongthe axis of the receiver.

4. A device of the character described comprising a horizontallyextended base member, a cam post receiver rising upwardly therefrom andinclined laterally thereof, a cam post disposed within the receiver,said cam post having a needle raising cam and a stitch cam thereon, andmeans to adjust said cam post reciprocably axially of the receiver.

5. A device of the character described for use in a circular knittingmachine having a needle cylinder, which device comprises a horizontallyextended base member, a cam post receiver rising upwardly therefrom andinclined laterally with respect thereto, a slidable cam post disposedWithin the receiver, 3, raising cam and a stitching cam on the post, andmeans to adjustably reciprocate the post along a curved linecorresponding to the curvature of the needle cylinder.

6. A device as in claim 5, in which the bearing surfaces of the cam postand the receiver are curved transversely and axially thereof.

7. A device of the character described comprising a horizontallyextended base member, a cam post receiver extending upwardly therefromand at an angle thereto, a cam post mounted in said receiver containinga raising cam and a stitch cam, said post member being axiallyreciprocatable within said receiver, and means on the receiver and postto cause helical movement of the post and cams thereon.

8. A device of the character described comprising a horizontallyextended base member, a cam post receiver risin upwardly therefrom andinclined laterally thereof, a cam post disposed within the receiver,said post having a raising cam and a stitch cam integral therewith,means to reciprocate said post along the length of the receiver axiallythereof, and means to lock the said post in any predetermined positionalong said receiver.

9. A device of the character described comprising a horizontallyextended base member, a cam post receiver rising upwardly therefrom andinclined laterally with respect thereto, a slidable cam post disposedwithin the receiver, a raising cam and a stitch cam on the post, meansto adjust said member reciprocably along a line inclined laterally withrespect to the base member, means to limit the extent of reciprocatingmovement, and means to direct said reciprocating movement along a pathcurving outwardly from the receiver.

10. A device of the character described for use in a circular knittingmachine including a needle cylinder and a plurality of knitting needlesmounted in the cylinder for vertical reciprocating movement, each ofsaid needles having an outwardly projectin butt portion, a plurality ofhorizontally extending members, a post receiver on each base inclinedupwardly therefrom and at an angle thereto, a cam post, a raising camand a stitch cam on said post, a needle butt track between each pair ofcams, and a needle butt track between the cams of adjacent members, eachpair of cam elements being simultaneously and reciprocatably adjustableaxially of said post, said axial movement of any pair of cam membersmaintaining the size of the needle butt track between it and theadjacent member without alteration.

11. A device as in claim 10 in which the faces of the raising andstitching cams are curved concentrically with the outer surface of theneedle cylinder.

WILLIAM A. ZIEVE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 423,080 Pike Mar. 11, 1890540,151 Denny May 28, 1895 1,056,691 Kimes Mar. 18, 1913 1,220,918Wilcomb Mar. 27, 1917 1,829,094 Ingalls Oct. 27, 1931 2,123,534 LawsonJuly 12, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 245,928 Great BritainJan. 21, 1926

